The Kadayawan Festival is an annual
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...
in the city of
Davao in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. Previously, this festival was held in the third week of August every year which was highlighting the 11 tribes of Davao City. In 2019, the celebration was extended and held from 2 to 31 August. In 2020, Kadayawan Festival was celebrated from 10 to 17 August.
One of the highlights of the Kadayawan Festival is the ''Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan,'' which translates to street dancing. This is a showcase of the diverse indigenous cultures of the region. The festivities feature different communities in Mindanao dancing in vibrant costumes that highlight their indigenous heritage.
History
In 1970, Mayor Elias B. Lopez encouraged all the Davao tribes to showcase their thanksgiving rituals. In 1986, the Davao City government focused on uniting the people in the turbulent times of martial law. At this time the festival was called "Apo Duwaling". This name was created as a combination of three natural wonders: Mt. Apo, Durian, and Waling-waling.
In 1988, the festival was officially named "Kadayawan Festival"
by then Mayor (now former Philippine President)
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
.
References
External links
Philippines Information AgencyOfficial website of Kadayawan FestivalDavao City official website
{{Davao City
Mindanao festivals
Culture of Davao City
Tourist attractions in Davao City
Harvest festivals